A young stranger spent most of a December day in 1939 lurking around Frenchtown, paying particular attention to Harman's Rexall Drug Store from across Bridge Street. The store was in the Odd Fellows' building (in the storefront currently occupied by the Gemstone Gallery). The stranger was George Gofus, 29, of Pennsylvania. There was a loaded .32 caliber revolver in his pocket.
At 10:20 that night, he walked into the pharmacy. Owner W. Howard Godley (1896-1984) and his wife, Lola, were in the back room chatting with their friend Fred Sipes. Godley emerged to wait on his customer, and Gofus asked him for a headache remedy.
When Godley turned and reached up to a shelf to get the medicine, Gofus jabbed the revolver into his back and said, “Stick 'em up!”
The usually mild-mannered Godley (pictured below) whirled, grabbing for the gun, and kicked Gofus in the shin, knocking him to the floor. Sipes heard the commotion, rushed out and joined the struggle. Lola ran into the street yelling for help as two gunshots rang out.
One bullet hit the wooden floor and the other injured Godley. One account has the bullet grazing his shoulder and another has it passing through his left
arm just below the shoulder, missing the bone. There was also a click as the revolver's firing pin struck a dud. Gofus lost the gun and ran out the front door, then up the alley with Sipes in pursuit. Gofus left Sipes behind as he ran north along the railroad tracks.
Dr. Arthur Jenkins tended to Godley's wound while Frenchtown lawmen and state troopers searched the area. Gofus was captured less than an hour later on the railroad just south of Milford by Frenchtown assistant marshals Russell Gordon and Paul Sherman.
Despite the extra .32-caliber bullets in his pocket, Gofus denied any involvement in the unsuccessful holdup. But soon he was talking about shooting spies on orders from “the captain.” He was later convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to eight to 10 years in state prison. Gordon and Sherman each got a $25 bonus from the borough for collaring him.
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The photo of the scene of the action was taken right around that time, judging by the poster advertising a church supper in December of 1939. Also note the competing theater posters. The Barn opened in 1939 and the Gem closed in 1940.
From "Rick's Frenchtown Encyclopedia." BTW, thanks to Eileen Godley Lewis for lending me these photos!
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